Silence settled over the office. Elizabeth exhaled and spoke pensively:

  “This is probably the first time in the last thirteen years that I’ve seen Astarion so… unsettled. I’ve grown so used to his stone-faced calm. But if he manages to wake Luna — I’ll be truly glad. Maybe then, for the first time in a long while, I’ll see him genuinely smile, not just twitch his lips while pretending it’s a smile.”

  Alex smiled:

  “I hope the potion works too. I’ve heard a lot about Luna from Adam… I’d like to finally meet her.”

  “Hm,” Elizabeth hummed lightly, then raised her glass. “Then let’s drink. To the Wolfengard family finally reuniting.”

  Alex lifted his glass in response.

  “To family.”

  The clink of glass rang out again, followed by two sips. Now all that remained was to wait for news.

  After a short pause, Elizabeth was the first to speak:

  “And what do you plan to do next?”

  Alex leaned back against the chair, lifting his shoulders slightly.

  “As I said, first I’ll help return all the orphans to the Beam of Hope. And then I’ll focus entirely on training with the Jester, as much as possible.”

  Elizabeth folded her hands on her knees thoughtfully, fell silent for a moment, then raised a brow with slight irony:

  “So your days consist of training with the raid group, dungeon runs with them, lessons with Aria, your own solo raids, occasional visits to Krul… and now additional training with the Jester? How do you even manage to fit all that in?”

  Alex gave a faint smile:

  “If you manage your time well — everything is possible. Besides, I’ll be going into dungeons alone less often. The new levels require an absurd amount of experience, and constant A-rank clears don’t give enough return. Training with the Jester looks like a more productive path right now.”

  “And do you rest at all?” Elizabeth asked quietly, though her tone held genuine concern.

  “I do,” Alex answered briefly.

  “And when exactly?” she asked again, now with a sly smile.

  Alex smiled lightly:

  “When I sleep. Or when I visit my parents.”

  He lowered his gaze, then added more seriously:

  “Yes, I don’t have as much time to rest as I’d like… But I’ll have time to rest later. Someday. When I fulfill what I promised Lumenia.”

  Elizabeth smiled sadly.

  “I really hope that moment comes soon. And that you finally allow yourself to simply… live.”

  Alex gave a small smile and nodded.

  “And what’s this sudden interest in my free time?”

  Elizabeth crossed her arms and pretended to be offended.

  “For your information, I am your aunt. I have every right to ask!” Then, calmer but sincerely, she added: “I just worry. Yes, the fate of the continent is in your hands. But that’s no reason to forget about yourself. Body and mind need to rest not only in sleep or at dinner. You don’t see your family often enough to call that real rest. And I’m asking you — please spend more time with your friends. And stop doing everything alone.”

  Alex grew a bit embarrassed, lowering his eyes as he murmured quietly:

  Stolen novel; please report.

  “I… don’t do everything alone. I rely on you, on Astarion, on my friends for many things…”

  Elizabeth laughed softly:

  “Do you even believe what you just said?”

  She leaned her elbow on the table and pointed a finger at him.

  “The only thing Astarion and I help you with is information you simply don’t have time to gather. Even when you agreed to take me with you into Lorenzo’s dungeon — in the end I stayed behind to watch over Rogan in the main hall while you and the Jester handled all the real work.”

  Alex looked a little lost.

  “I… I did genuinely want you to come with me at first. But when Rogan asked to go too, I was against it. You convinced me to bring him.”

  “Yes,” Elizabeth cut him off sharply. “But I thought all three of us were going together into the duke’s dungeon. You, me, and Rogan. Yes, Lorenzo had gathered a bunch of thugs, but most of them were low-level. Only his guards posed any real threat. You and I could have handled them, and Rogan would have dealt with the rest.”

  Alex lowered his gaze, his voice trembling slightly:

  “And what if he got hurt? We would’ve cleared the dungeon without a scratch, and he…”

  “Alex,” Elizabeth interrupted again, this time softly but firmly. “Rogan is a student of Fenricks. The strongest beastman student in the Academy. He trains with all the Directors and clears A-rank dungeons with you. Do you really think something would have happened to him in that dungeon?”

  Alex didn’t answer.

  “The problem isn’t Rogan. The problem is you. The fact that even with strong friends and allies… you still choose to go alone. Or — ironically — with the Jester. The very man because of whom you died in the past. And that…” she sighed and looked away, “just doesn’t make sense to me.”

  Alex stayed silent. Not because he had nothing to say — but because the words were stuck somewhere deep in his throat, turning into a heavy stone.

  And Elizabeth didn’t expect an answer.

  “You’re strong, Alex. Stronger than anyone I know. But that doesn’t mean you have to handle everything on your own. You’ve gathered powerful allies around you, yet you don’t trust them. They’re beside you, they go on raids with you, you give them advice, help them train. But at the same time — you leave them behind.

  Why did you even agree to become part of the raid group then? Why take on Aria’s training? Why duel Adam every week? Why spend your time and strength making everyone else stronger if you won’t allow them to stand beside you when it matters?”

  Her voice wasn’t angry — it was filled with disappointment and pain.

  “Give me an answer, Alex. I want to understand you.”

  Alex slowly raised his gaze to her. His voice trembled, but he tried to speak clearly, to hold himself together:

  “I… do all this to protect the people who are dear to me. And I help them become stronger only so they can protect themselves if I’m not there. If I train, if I move forward… it’s only so they’ll never even have to use that strength.”

  He drew a breath. The pressure inside him began to build.

  “I’ve been through this already. I’ve watched loved ones die. I saw my father die. I held my mother when she no longer breathed. I remember Eleria’s cold body… when she…” His voice broke, tears appearing in his eyes. “And a few minutes before my own death, Adam died on the battlefield.”

  He raised his voice, nearly shouting:

  “So tell me — after all that, how am I supposed to just let them walk into danger again? I won’t survive it, do you understand? I don’t want to go through those deaths again! I have to keep them away from all of it. I have to grow stronger. And this is my path. A lonely one. Because I simply don’t have another choice!”

  Alex breathed heavily, trying to calm himself. Then he added more quietly:

  “You’re not the first to try convincing me. Adam, Eleria, Sirena… Everyone wants to help. But the only thing any of you can do for me is stay safe. Don’t get involved. Don’t take risks. That’s all I ask.”

  Elizabeth slammed her fist on the table. The glasses jumped, ringing, and a fire flared in her eyes.

  “You’re selfish!”

  She was almost shouting.

  “You keep saying you care about others, but in truth you care only about yourself! Your fear of loss is greater than other people’s will. You steal our choice! You impose your idea of protection on us, locking us in a cage because it makes you feel calmer! That’s not care — that’s control! That’s selfishness, Alex!”

  His jaw tightened, his fists clenched. His voice, already nearly torn, hissed through his teeth:

  “You think I don’t know that?”

  He lifted his eyes to her — eyes full of pain and burning intensity.

  “You think I don’t realize how selfish I seem? These thoughts follow me every day. Every spare minute. I can’t look people in the eye because I’m ashamed. I promise myself I’ll trust you more — and then I keep doing everything alone. Because I can’t survive another loss! You want me to let you help, but you haven’t seen what I’ve seen! You haven’t felt what I felt! So don’t you dare judge me!”

  Elizabeth shot to her feet. Her hand rose into the air — and stopped a millimeter from his cheek. Heavy breathing, a trembling palm, a flash of rage in her eyes…

  But a moment later she looked at her own hand, and the fire in her gaze faded, giving way to fear and shame. She slowly sank back into her chair, saying nothing.

  A few seconds of tense silence passed. Then Elizabeth let out a shaky laugh, trying to hide the trembling in her voice:

  “I knew you were stubborn. But this stubborn… A true Bledhart.”

  She no longer looked at him.

  “That’s enough for today. When I’m ready — I’ll contact you.”

  Alex rose without a word. He stood still for a moment, then turned and walked out of the office without looking back.

  Elizabeth leaned back in her chair, covering her eyes with her hand. Her breathing was deep and uneven. Then she laughed again quietly, almost tiredly.

  “And what was I expecting, really… A stubborn aunt and an even more stubborn nephew. An incredible combination.”